self image

Making My Hair Mine

My adoptive mom’s hangups convinced me I was an ugly duckling with noticeable imperfections. Turns out, it was about her, not me, and certainly not about my hair, which isn't the enemy she -- or I -- thought it was, either.

I feel uncomfortable in my body, but don't know how to express it to my parents: please help!

Anonymous asks:
I'm a 14 year old who was assigned female sex at birth, but recently I've started to feel insecure, angry and depressed about my body. Whenever I get my period I feel super grossed out and uncomfortable, as well as angry and frustrated. I've tried to talk to my mom but I just don't know how to express it to her, and I'm worried that my parents will have a bad reaction....

Ever Smiling Doll

Sexuality in ColorI used to play with Barbies a lot when I was little. No wonder I wanted to be blonde.

I smiled at my reflection. Not because of my morena skin. Not because of my brown eyes, or even because I was looking at the face of a child with a life of opportunity ahead. It was because at that time of day, if I used a bit of imagination, the light from Costa Rica’s morning sun made my dark, curly hair glow a golden yellow. I would go into daydreams of myself: blonde with bright blue eyes and a perfectly pink smile, driving off in a matching magenta convertible with the most popular boy in the class.